Ianto and Gwen followed Jack into the barn, now all in fresh clothing, and crouched down beside him on the ground.

"What is it?" Ianto asked

"It appears to be a stone," Jack said.

In the corner, where Jack and Ianto had dragged the body of the beast, was now empty save for a large black stone. It measured no more than four inches in width and looked like an everyday stone that you might find in the garden. Jack reached out towards the object and touched it with the back of his hand; it was cold and smooth to the touch. He picked it up; it was light, lighter than an ordinary stone of that size and it took on his heat, warming at his touch.

"This," Jack said, holding up the stone. "Is no ordinary stone. This an environmentally friendly alien."

Ianto rose an eyebrow. "A what?"

"An environmentally friendly alien," he repeated. "I've seen it before. Around the twenty-fifth century they realise that the environment seriously needs preserving, so technology is created to compress all waste material into minerals that can be used as a renewable sort of fossil fuel." He pointed to it. "This is future coal."

Gwen and Ianto looked at each other and then at Jack.

"What?" he said, "you don't think that aliens have an eco-system to protect like everybody else?"

"So, that ages them to the twenty-fifth century?" Ianto asked, catching the stone when Jack tossed it to him.

"At least."

"So what now?" Gwen inspected the stone and Ianto handed it to her.

"We need to know if these creatures have come through the rift on their own, or whether they came through with us. If they came through themselves then there's a possibility that there's a temporal weakness somewhere around here."

"So we could get home?" Gwen asked. "That's good news, right?"

Not necessarily. Just because there's a temporal weakness, it doesn't mean it'll take us home, it just means it'll take us somewhere." He turned to Gwen. "Go and ask Iris if she has any camping gear."

"Why?"

"I want to know more about these things, and the only way to do that is to observe; I want to camp out tonight and do some surveillance."

"Okay." Gwen handed Jack the stone and wandered off in the direction of the farmhouse.

Ianto looked at Jack, putting his hands on his hips in that way he always did when he was anxious.

"What?"

"On your own?" Ianto asked, "you're going to camp out here alone when there's the possibility that one of those things could attack again?"

"Yes, unless I have a volunteer."

"Our last camping trip wasn't a success," Ianto reminded him. "If you remember, I ended up with a meat-cleaver to my throat."

"That's why we're going to be on our guard this time."

"You don't know what they're capable of, you don't know what they can do Jack. What will you do if there's more than one of them?"

"I don't know."

"Or, what if there's a whole herd of them."

"I don't know!" he repeated. "I don't know anything. We don't have any equipment, or any weapons or any archive to refer to. We have nothing except for what we know, and y'know what?"

"What?"

"I'm actually scared this time." Jack distanced himself from Ianto and looked down at the ground. "I don't know why they're here or what they want, or even if they want anything at all. I have no idea how to get rid of them."

"We'll work it out, we always do."

"What if this is because of us, and these creatures are here because we messed with the rift? I don't want to be responsible for that."

Ianto closed the gap and kissed Jack's lips softly, pushing him into the shadows to move away from view. Jack wrapped his arms around him and deepened the kiss, only to be pushed away a little after a moment.

"I'm sorry, It's the best distraction I know of." Ianto put his hands on the side of Jack's neck. "Kissing you seems to be the only guaranteed way to shut you up."

"What happened to your rules?" Jack asked.

"I can break the rules on special occasions."

"Really?"

"It was probably a very unwise move, I admit."

"I don't think so." Jack put his hands on the younger man's stomach and guided him further into the darkness of the building.

"What are you doing?"

"I can break the rules, too."

"No." Ianto moved the older man's hands away from his stomach. "The moment passed."

"Iris is with Gwen, Joseph went into town to run some errands, who's going to see?" Jack pressed a kiss against against his neck.

"Jack-" Ianto moved away a little.

"Have you ever had sex in a barn?"

"I'm not answering that." Ianto let him push him into the darkest corner. "I dont want to encourage you any more than I already have."

"I've always thought sex in a barn was a huge turn on, ." He untucked Ianto's shirt from his trousers and slipped his fingers underneath, moving layers until he reached his skin. "Haven't you?"

"I'm not having sex with you in a barn in the middle or the day."

Jack opened his mouth to speak.

"Or the night," Ianto said quickly. "This is not going to happen."

"I can imagine you all spread out in a barn." Jack started to trace circles on the Welshman's stomach and moved his lips to his ear.

"Jack-" Ianto leaned into Jack's and whimpered a little when he felt his teeth brush gently against his earlobe.

"I think it would be really hot."

"Getting caught isn't."

"And who says we'll get caught?" Jack's fingers brushed Ianto's stomach again, creating a trail from one side to the other. "We could spend hours in here without anyone even realising that we're missing."

Ianto put his hands on Jack's shoulders to push him away, but found himself melting into him when he pushed him gently against the wall and raked his short nails across his stomach.

"Jack." he muttered his name weakly, resting his head against the wall. "Don't."

Jack unfastened the buttons of Ianto's shirt and pushed it over his shoulders, then clawed at his undershirt, pushing it halfway up his chest. His lips moved to the Welshman's neck and his hands roamed his torso. "

It's your own fault," he said, "if you hadn't started something upstairs fifteen minutes ago then I wouldn't have you pinned against a wall in a barn."

"You wouldn't?"

Jack pondered and then broke into a smile on Ianto's neck.

"Alright, so maybe I would, but you make me so much worse." He moved his mouth to Ianto's lips and kissed him softly, nipping his bottom lip between his teeth and sucking on it.

Ianto wrapped his arms around him finally, pulling his body against him; one of his hands roamed Jack's back, finding its way under his shirt, whilst the other tangled in his hair. His fingers ran through the Captain's hair and gripped it, pulling a little at the edges as he pulled his lips closer.

"We should be working," Ianto mumbled between kisses, fighting off Jack's mouth so he could speak. Jack hung off his bottom lip, sucking it into his mouth as he spoke, before moving to kiss his jaw and neck. "The thing just vanished," he said weakly. "We really should investigate the- the-"

"The thing?" Jack suggested..

"Yeah. We should investigate the thing."

"We have five minutes to spare," Jack mumbled.

Suddenly, Ianto pushed him back a little. "Five minutes?"

"Or ten." Jack moved back to the Welshman's neck. "It's probably not going to be as drawn out as I would like. You got me pretty riled up before."

Ianto shoved him away to arms length. "Well that's romantic," he said, "hey here's a barn lets have a quickie; typical."

Jack pushed Ianto back against the wall and pinned his hands softly by his side. "You cannot be insulted," he whispered, kissing the Welshman's neck. "You can't turn me on to the point of needing to pin you up against a wall in a barn and then be insulted because I tell you that I can't hold out."

Ianto slipped his hands away from Jack's grasp and pushed him away a little. "Look at me and read my lips." He tilted the older man's face to look directly into his eyes. "I am not having sex with you in a barn".

"Don't you want a little roll around in the hay?" Jack asked. "Literally."

Ianto let himself be pushed back against the wall again. "We're a stones throw from the house. Anyone could hear us."

Jack kissed Ianto's neck softly. "Then we'll just have to be really quiet."

"So. You want our first time to be a quickie in a barn, holding back in case someone hears us?" he asked, "that's not going to happen."

"Why?"

"I know you," Ianto said. "you're not the quiet type."

Jack chuckled and leaned into Ianto's ear. "Then you better find something to gag me with."

"Well if you really want me to hold back and go through the motions I can," Ianto said. "But that would mean that it wouldn't be half as good as it could be." he felt Jack's lips come to a stop on his neck. "Because it could be amazing."

Jack stepped back. "One day you're going to kill me."

Ianto pulled Jack back by his shirt and kissed him softly, then moved away, letting his thumbs rest on Jack's cheeks.

"What we're doing is risky enough without being reckless."

"I know."

"This behaviour is exactly how I ended up in a mess the last time."

"In a barn?"

"I want you now probably more than I have ever wanted anyone, but if I'm weak , if I give in to you and we're found out then that's it."

"I know," Jack's voice cracked and then he took a breath to control it. "You know, I would die for you a thousand times if you would let me."

"Don't say that," Ianto gave Jack a broken smile. "I would never be worth that to you, nobody's worth that to you."

"You are."" Jack leaned in to Ianto, resting their foreheads together. "If I could sell my soul to get you home then I would. I would do anything for you to be in a world that doesn't make you look like you're scared to breathe when you're with me."

"Sometimes I'm not scared to breathe, i just can't. You look at me and your eyes burn through my skin so much that i can feel the heat. I forget how to breathe for a moment until you stop." he looked up at Jack; his gaze was heavy, and Ianto could feel his uneven breath heat his lips. "Jack, losing myself in you is more terrifying than getting lost in time could ever be."

Jack moved closer and kissed him softly, putting his hand on the Welshman's chin to draw him closer; he didn't deepen the kiss, instead he moved away just a little.

"We should get out of here," Ianto said. "We can't let big winged beast things take over rural Wales now can we?"

"Certainly not." Jack looked at him for a moment and chuckled. "You're a mess."

"Well that's not my fault; you mauled me."

"I didn't maul, I don't maul," Jack said straightening Ianto's shirt over his shoulders, "I grope."

"Like there's a difference."

"Groping is a friendly maul," he explained, casually fastening the buttons. "I'm harmless."

"Of course you are," Ianto straightened Jack's ruffled hair as he fastened his shirt. "Gorgeous and harmless. It's very rare to find both qualities together."

"You forgot to mention painfully handsome."

Ianto straightened Jack's collar and let his hands trail down the shirt. "I'm not going to encourage you." He pushed himself away from the older man and headed for the door. "We should go and sort out the camping stuff."


Owen walked up the steps from the autopsy area wearing his white coat and leant on the wall lethargically. "Okay, so I extracted some more of that blue gunge from the specimen, but unfortunately I can't do much to analyse it."

"Why not?"

"Because every time I come close the bloody stuff vanishes and takes my equipment with it."

"So what now?"

"Well-" Owen walked over to her, trailing his chair behind him, and then sat opposite her, "I think it's safe to say that this stuff should be kept as far away from people as possible. So, I want you get on to the boys in blue and get a cordon secured within a mile radius of the warehouse."

"And what else do we do?"

"Bugger if I know."

"If Jack was here-"

"Well he's not. He's not here, Gwen isn't here and neither is Ianto; it's just you and me and we have to do the best that we can until we can get them back." Owen stood up and made his way back towards the autopsy area.

"And what if we can't?" Tosh asked, forcing him to stop and turn around. "What if they're stuck?"

"Then we have to replace them," he said. "But we're not giving up yet."

"I don't know if I completely trust your ability anymore."

"Well then, don't let the door hit you in the arse on your way out."

"Fine, you want me to go?" Tosh picked up her things. "You think you can handle this on your own?"

"I do as it happens."

"Fine, do it on your own." She pulled her jacket off the back of her chair and headed for the door. "Do it all on your own."

"I dont need you anyway!"


"Camping?" Iris asked Gwen, perplexed. "Captain Harkness wants to go camping?"

"Yes?"

"Whatever for?"

"Jack is very interested in stargazing."

"I have a tent, but it's not very good,"

Gwen smiled kindly, helping Iris peel some vegetables. "He won't mind."

"He'll have to go and get it himself, we have guests coming tomorrow and staying until overnight and with them taking up that room I have to set the other one up, so I'm too busy to fetch it out."

"I'm sure he can manage."

"How's your ankle?"

"Getting better, but still really painful."

"Y'know, there's one thing I hate more in life than a liar." She said. "And that's three liars."

"Iris-"

"Your ankle is fine, I saw you running into the barn earlier."

"I can explain."

"Ever since you turned up there's been nothing but trouble. First, that night you came, that horrible smell in the air, then twelve of our chickens got ripped to pieces in one night and now those dragons?" She put her knife down, leaning across the table to look at her. "What are you?"

"What happened to your chickens?"

"I want answers and I want them now."

"Your chickens!" She repeated. "What happened."

"They had their heads bitten off by a fox, or a dog or something, but much bigger."

"Iris?" Gwen got up and dashed around the table, grabbing the knife from her hand. She pulled her up. "Show me where."

"Are you going to tell me the truth?"

"We catch monsters," Gwen said. "We catch them and we stop them from hurting people, but we can't stop them if you don't help us."

"You've lied to me, all of you!"

"I know."

"Even Mr. Jones." Iris slumped down on her stool. "He seemed so honest, no nice. You all seemed so nice, so trustworthy, but none of you are."

"We just want to help you."

"You can help by leaving," she said. "You can stay in the house tonight, but after than I want you all gone."

"And we'll go, but I do need for you to show me the chickens."


Tosh sat at home looking through her collection of mythology books, sticking postits on all the appropriate pages. She took a drink of her wine, knocking it back before walking towards the kitchen to refill it. A knock on the door made her change her route and she opened it, empty glass it hand.

Owen stood in the doorway, his short leather jacket protecting him from the rain.

"Come back."

"Go away, Owen."

"No." He stops the door with his foot when Tosh tired to close it, then pushed it open fully and leaned on the doorframe. "I'm an arse Tosh, but sometimes that's just how I am."

"Sometimes?"

"Most of the time."

Tosh gave up and walked inside, leaving him to follow.

"It's really hard, Tosh. I'm trying to keep us hoping but I can't if I don't have your support and your help. I can't do it on my own."

"I know I'm not Gwen. I don't have her toughness, or her style or her other assets."

"Tosh-"

"But I am trying so hard to get through this."

"I need you," he said.

"You told me to go, you said you didn't need me."

"I say a lot of things I don't mean, I'm a man, it's genetic." He puts his hands on her face. "Don't leave me, Tosh."

"You sound like you're begging me." Tosh smiled a little. "You never beg."

"I'm desperate and you're all I've got left. I gave up everything for this job and built my whole life around it, around you lot. I've got nothing else, only you."

"Okay."

"Grab your coat then, we have work to do."

"Where are we going?"

"Our dead bodies have a secret, I didn't notice it right away because I didn't check right away, too busy trying to get the others back and then the creepy mythical bat things happened."

"What's the secret?"

"They're too clean, Tosh."

"Too clean?" Tosh grabbed her coat as Owen pulled her towards the front door. "What do you mean?"

"They're in their late twenties. No signs of any fillings or medical procedures, no tramp stamps or tatoos, no piercings."

"So?"

"How many fillings do you have?" He asked as he pulled the door shut.

"Two."

"What's the likelihood of four people that age having nothing? They have no credit cards, no debit cards, no mobile phone for God's sake. They're human, I checked their blood, but they're out of place. They have no dental records, no medical records that I can find, no fingerprint or Dna records."

"What do you think?"

" Our murder victims are from the past, I'd bet my life on it."

"If that's true they must've gone missing at some time. Someone has to have reported them missing at some point if they're at least from recent times. I'll search missing person records as far back as they go. If we find them, we find a time they went missing and then we know where this all started."

"See, I told you I needed you."


Gwen followed iris into the building where they kept the chickens; a panel on the side of the wooden building had been ripped through, then patched up with spare bits of timber and a few nails. She investigated the blood on the ground, looking at the splatters on the floor and walls. Some stray feathers were still attached, matted into the blood and some even appeared to be on the ceiling. If Gwen were to hazard a guess she would say that the animals had struggled before being thrown against the wall.

"When did this happen?" Gwen asked

"The night before last."

"Did you see it?"

"No, just the animal," Iris said. "It got out the same way it got in, through the hole it ripped in the side."

"What did it look like?" Gwen asked, crouching down to look more closely at the damage to the wood panels.. "Was it big?"

"I'm not sure, it was hunched over too much. But it had big teeth, I remember that."

"And this has never happened before?"

"We sometimes get a few foxes around here, or wild dogs that have a go, but not like this. nothing that rips holes in walls to get to them."

"I'm sorry this is happening," Gwen said.

"Can you stop it?"

"I dont know."

"So what's the point of you?" Iris asked.

"Look, I know you're angry and you think we lied to you-"

"You did lie!" She bit angrily. "You all lied to me, all of you."

"Its for your own good. The things we see, they're not supposed to be here" Gwen stood up and walked over to her, putting her hand on Iris' shoulder to try and calm her.

"And what are you going to do about it?"

"I Dont know, but we'll figure something out," Gwen promised. "We will."

"We were fine here before you all came along." Iris said, looking around at the remaining hens, still visibly shaken. "Maybe if you go, then things will go back to normal."

"Or they won't."

"You're all leaving tomorrow, so we'll find out soon enough."

"I think you need us here to help you," Gwen said, her tone soft. "You need us or you could be in danger."

"If we're in danger it's because you made us."

"We'll put it right."

"You've all lied to us, how can I trust anything you say?"

"I don't know how to prove that we're trustworthy, but we are."

"Gwen." Iris sighed. "You might not understand this, but this farm is our life and our livelihood, we cant always afford the luxury of second chances."

"I'm sorry, but I'm being honest with you now and the lying ends here."

"Its too late for sorry, I want you out tomorrow," Iris said walking away. "All of you."


"Remind me why this is necessary?" Ianto asked, hammering the last tent peg into the ground and stepping back to admire his work. The tent was small and didn't look waterproof, with nothing but a tie-back to keep the cold out.

"I want to see if these things are nocturnal and if there are any more of them." Jack's hand appeared from inside the tent and grabbed the Welshman's wrist, pulling him inside. "I think it's pretty cosy, don't you?"

Inside, the tent was kitted out with a thin groundsheet, a lamp, a tin thermos, a pair of binoculars and a make-shift bed; two pillows lay side-by-side with a few blankets to keep them warm.

"It better not rain," Ianto said. "And those blankets better be thick. I'm freezing."

"I got you a present." Jack sat down on the ground and threw Ianto a wooly hat. "This should keep your head warm."

Ianto pulled it on over his head and glared at the older man who stifled a laugh.

"What about the rest of me?" Ianto asked.

"Well, I can take care of that."

"For God's sake." Ianto rolled his eyes dramatically and sat down beside him. "You're insatiable."

"You make that sound like a bad thing."

"Tonight is not the night for a stakeout Jack, I'm tired. It's been a really long day."

"You can go to sleep," Jack said, lying down under the blanket. He tapped the space behind him. "I'll wake you if I want you."

"That's a dangerous thought."

The Welshman kicked off his shoes, then climbed under the blankets beside Jack, tucking himself underneath the blanket. He pulled his jacket tight around him, then brought the blanket up to his neck. "This better be worth it."

"It will be."

"And keep your hands to yourself. This is not Brokeback Mountain."